Today in History for Jan. 29, 2018

George Rutledge Stuart Jr.

Jan. 29, 1737 – American Revolutionary figure Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, Norfolk, Great Britain. He would publish his most influential work, a pamphlet called “Common Sense,” in 1776.

Jan. 29, 1777 - Facing a surprise British counterassault in the bitter cold and with a snowstorm approaching, American commander Major General William Heath and his army of 6,000 abandoned their siege on Fort Independence, in Bronx County, New York.

Jan. 29, 1777 - General George Washington put Major General Israel Putnam in command of all Patriot troops in New York. Putnam was charged with the defense of the city and its water routes.

Jan. 29, 1820 - Britain's King George III died insane at Windsor Castle.

Jan. 29, 1843 – The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, was born in Niles, Ohio.

Jan. 29, 1845 – Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, "The Raven" was published for the first time in the New York Evening Mirror and became a popular sensation. Though it made Poe a household name almost instantly, he was paid only $9 for its publication.

Jan. 29, 1858 – Jasper N. Dennard became postmaster at Burnt Corn, Ala.

Jan. 29 1860 – Russian novelist, playwright and physician Anton Chekhov was born in the seaside town of Taganrog.

Jan. 29, 1861 - Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state. It was the 34th state to enter the Union. The struggle between pro- and anti-slave forces in Kansas was a major factor in the eruption of the Civil War.

Jan. 29, 1861 – The U.S. Revenue cutter, Robert McClelland, was seized by Louisiana State Troops near New Orleans.

Jan. 29, 1862 – During the Civil War, a six-day Federal operation began in the vicinity of Blue Springs, Mo. A skirmish was fought at Lee's House, close to the Occoquan Bridge, over the Occoquan River, in Virginia.

Jan. 29, 1863 - General Ulysses S. Grant was placed in command of the Army of the West and was given orders to capture Vicksburg, Miss.

Jan. 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought in the vicinity of Richmond, La.; at Pinos Altos Mines, New Mexico, with Indians; and near Collierville, Nashville, and Yorkville, Tenn. A Confederate expedition also began to Daufuskie Island, S.C. A Federal engagement also began on the Bear River (or Battle Creek), in the Utah Territory with Indians.

Jan. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes occurred near Cobb’s Mill and near the Tennessee River in North Alabama.

Jan. 29, 1864 – Joseph Ganes Sanders, the “Turncoat of Dale County,” resigned from the Confederate army.

Jan. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, a 26-day Federal operation began from Vicksburg, Miss. to Waterproof, La., laying waste to the countryside by raiding plantations and confiscating anything of value, not necessarily of military value--just of value. Skirmishes were also fought at Gloucester Court House and a second day of skirmishing occurred near Jonesville, Va. A four-day Federal operation began in Isla of Wright County, Va.

Jan. 29, 1865 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Danville, Ky.; near Harrodsburg, Ky.; and at Robertsville, S.C. A 10-day Federal operation began between Bayou Goula and Grand River in Louisiana, with skirmishing at Richland Plantation.

Jan. 29, 1880 – Actor W.C. Fields was born William Dukenfield in Darby, Pa.

Jan. 29, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that “a negro man was drowned at Hanter’s Mill, this county, last week, while floating saw logs into an aqueduct or canal made to convey them to the mill.”

Jan. 29, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that “Messrs. Wm. Smith, T.B. Baily and several others living on Flat Creek, while looking after some beaver traps last week, found the carcass of a catfish measuring four feet and two inches in length, and 13-1/2 inches across the head. The fish had swam out while the banks of the creek were overflowed, and when the water receded it was too shallow for the fish to return to the creek, it was frozen and died.”

Jan. 29, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported a “Singular Freak of Nature” in that day’s edition of the newspaper. “In looking over the little museum of curiosities accumulated by Capt. W.S. Wiggins, our attention was attracted by a forked ear of corn. It has three distinct and perfectly developed prongs all growing from one stem. They were all filled out with well matured corn and were all three encased in one husk. The above monstrosity was grown by Capt. T.M. Riley of Riley, post office, this county.”

Jan. 29, 1900 – The American League of professional baseball was organized in Philadelphia with eight founding teams.

Jan. 29, 1906 - J.H. Moore of Perdue Hill, Ala. passed through Monroeville on this Monday on his way to Selma to buy machinery for a saw mill plant which he was establishing at Perdue Hill.

Jan. 29, 1915 – The home of Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Foxworth in Beatrice, Ala. was nearly destroyed by fire.

Jan. 29, 1915 - In the Argonne region of France, German lieutenant Erwin Rommel led his company in the daring capture of four French block-houses, the structures used on the front to house artillery positions.

Jan. 29, 1916 – During World War I, Paris was first bombed by German zeppelins.

Jan. 29, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. James Scales of Jackson, Ala. “died from disease.”

Jan. 29, 1927 – Uncompromising environmentalist, novelist and essayist Edward Abbey was born in Home, Pa.

Jan. 29, 1936 - The first members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were named in Cooperstown, NY. The group included Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.

Jan. 29, 1948 – A British South American Tudor IV four-engine passenger plane called the “Star Tiger,” flying from the Azores to Bermuda, disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle with a crew of six and 25 passengers.

Jan. 29, 1959 – The Evergreen (Ala.) Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting and election of officers at the Evergreen High School lunchroom. Guest speaker was Dr. George R. Stuart of Birmingham, a former Birmingham-Southern College president, who worked for Alabama Power.

Jan. 29, 1960 - Eley Randerson scored only six points on this Friday evening, but his passing and ball handling led to many other scores as he led the Conecuh County Training School Eagles to a 58-36 victory over Georgiana. The Jones boys, Marvin and Leon, played their usual consistent game. Marvin as usual led the team in scoring with 20 points, (Douglas) Evans was runner-up with 14.

Jan. 29, 1963 - The first members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame were named in Canton, Ohio. The list included Sammy Baugh, Johnny Blood, Dutch Clark, Red Grange, Mel Hein, Pete Henry, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Jim Thorpe, Bert Bell, Joe Carr, George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara and George Preston Marshall.

Jan. 29, 1964 – Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed was born in Allentown, Pa. He would go on to play college ball at Kutztown and pro ball for the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Jan. 29, 1968 – Pro Hall of Fame cornerback and safety Aeneas Williams was born in New Orleans, La. He would go on to play for the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams.

Jan. 29, 1968 - In his annual budget message, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked for $26.3 billion to continue the war in Vietnam, and announced an increase in taxes.

Jan. 29, 1973 - The fighting continued in South Vietnam despite the cease-fire that was initiated on Jan. 28, 1973, under the provisions of the Paris Peace Accords.

Jan. 29, 1979 - San Diego teen Brenda Ann Spencer explained why she sprayed bullets on classmates on this day in 1979, saying “I don't like Mondays.”

Jan. 29, 1980 – The Cobb House in Grove Hill, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Jan. 29, 1980 – The Old Fort Dale Site, the Fort Dale Cemetery, the Old Log Barn and Oak Grove Methodist Church, all located in the Greenville, Ala. vicinity, were added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Jan. 29, 1988 – Frisco City High School’s varsity boys basketball team beat J.U. Blacksher, 59-53, in Frisco City. Top Frisco City players in that game included Cleveland Banks, Robert Byrd, Lorenzo Lawson, Terry Tucker and Clifton Tucker.

Jan. 29, 1989 - Billy Joel sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIII.

Jan. 29, 1989 - The television program “Home Fires Burning,” teleplay by Alabama author Robert Inman, was broadcast.

Jan. 29, 1991 – On this Tuesday night, Monroe County High School’s basketball teams were scheduled to play at Hillcrest, starting at 5 p.m.

Jan. 29, 1993 – Journalist, novelist and poet Gustav Hasford, a native of Russellville, Ala., died at the age of 45 in Aegina, Greece. He suffered from untreated diabetes and died of heart failure. His semi-autobiographical novel “The Short-Timers” (1979) was the basis of the film “Full Metal Jacket” (1987). He was also a United States Marine Corps veteran, who served during the Vietnam War.

Jan. 29, 1995 - The San Francisco 49ers became the first team in National Football League history to win five Super Bowl titles. The 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers, 49-26, in Super Bowl XXIX. San Francisco quarterback Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in the game.

Jan. 29, 1998 - A bomb exploded at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Ala., killing an off-duty policeman and severely wounding a nurse. Serial bomber Eric Rudolph was charged with this bombing and three other attacks in Atlanta.

Jan. 29, 2002 – In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush described "regimes that sponsor terror" as an “Axis of evil,” in which he included Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

Jan. 29, 2002 - The Monroe Health Foundation had raised more than $655,300 for the construction of a cancer treatment center in Monroeville, Foundation Director Pattie Crawford said in a report on this Tuesday to the Monroe County Hospital board. The foundation planned to break ground for the cancer treatment center in the spring of 2003 at property located adjacent to Regions Bank in Monroeville. The property was donated to the hospital by Peoples Exchange Bank and the Tommy Black family.

Jan. 29, 2004 - Major League Baseball owners approved the $430 million sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers from News Corp. to Frank McCourt.

Jan. 29, 2010 - Weather observer Harry Ellis reported 2.20 inches of rain in Evergreen.

Jan. 29, 2010 - More than two dozen Alabama Forestry Commission employees, along with local law enforcement and fire department members, turned out for a retirement luncheon and roast of Johnny Kline on this Friday at Frisco City Baptist Church. Kline retired on Mon., Feb. 1, 2010, after more than 28 years with the Forestry Commission in Monroe County.

Jan. 29, 2013 – A gunman killed a school bus driver and held a six-year-old boy hostage in an underground bunker in Midland City, Alabama.

  

Jan. 29, 2016 – A UFO was reportedly seen around 6:30 p.m. on this Friday in Jasper, which is in Walker County, not far from Birmingham, Ala. The witness in this case, along with his mother and sister, reported seeing three “balls of light” that changed both speed and direction. All three “bright lights” traveled south through the sky and made a pair of 90-degree turns, moving “dramatically” more slowly between these turns. At first, the witnesses thought the first object was a bright star, but realized it couldn’t have been a star when it began traveling toward them at great speed. All three lights were visible for five to 10 seconds.